A Winter's Tale
by amessoffand0ms
Summary: With the help of a song and a few funny moments, will Zoe and Max admit that all they want for Christmas is to be back together?


**A Winter's Tale**

 **Prompt taken from otpimaginations on Tumblr-changing it slightly though to Zax having a date on a Winter instead of Autumn afternoon :-)**

 **Imagine your OTP...**

 **Having a coffee date on a cool autumn afternoon. They're both bundled in scarves and sweaters and imagine Person A already being in one of the booths and Person B walks in. Imagine the way that their eyes meet and smiles appear on their faces before Person B goes to order their hot drink. And then they go sit down across from person A and they start having a quiet, casual conversation punctuated with soft laughter and little smiles as they sip from steaming cups.**

 **Dedicated to my fabulous friend Daisy- who's finally getting into the festive spirit! Love you lots :* xxx**

 **Reviews welcome,**

 **Laura xxx**

They were trying again. After several conversations, Zoe and Max had decided to try again, relationship wise. They needed each other, and still loved each other.

Zoe sat at a table at a little café in, tapping her fingers on the cold wood impatiently. She was nervous-what if Max left her? What if she said something wrong?

She checked her phone- 10:40. She'd agreed to meet Max at 10:45. Five minutes.

The doorbell on the doorframe jangled and her head snapped up, and felt a mixture of disappointment when she realised that it wasn't him who had entered the building.

The consultant checked her phone- a text from Rita popped up, she was asking after her. The nurse knew about the situation between the doctor and the porter, and was one of very few people that Zoe trusted with the terrible secret.

She texted her friend back, dithering over the words.

The doorbell went again, just as Zoe hit send. It was Max.

The porter noticed Zoe and gave her a smile. Zoe smiled back, somewhat nervously.

Max ordered his drink, Zoe smiled when she heard his what his choice of drink was- cappuccino with a shot of caramel- his usual, he was a creature of habit.

"I don't see why you don't order anything different" Zoe chuckled a few minutes later as Max sat down.

"Creature of habit, me. How are you?"

"Okay, thanks. You?" Zoe responded.

The pair made small talk, still slightly nervous around each other.

"How are Robyn and Lofty?" Zoe asked politely.

"They're okay. I tried to help Lofty to put a shelf up the other day, and he accidentally hit his thumb with a hammer, three times." Max chuckled.

Zoe laughed with him. "I bet that he was mortified."

"He was, we had to bring him to the ED. Rita told him off, actually. Connie's face was a picture." Max said.

Zoe smiled. "Bless Lofty, I wish that I could've been there to see it!"

"It was very funny, Lofty wasn't seriously injured, either."

"That's good." Smiled Zoe, then took a sip of her drink, deeming that it was finally at the right temperature to consume.

"I meant to ask, what's your beverage?" Max asked.

"Hot chocolate, with whipped cream and marshmallows." Zoe said once she'd taken one or two sips.

"Hmm, each to their own." Max wasn't a fan of the drink.

"Says you!" Zoe teased. "Cappuccino is horrible! Latte is a lot nicer."

"I suppose."

The two talked for a while more, laughing, reflecting over the odd funny memory.

"So, d'you fancy a look round the shops?" Max suggested, they'd finished their drinks.

"Yes please, I'd like that." Zoe said, standing up.

Max held up Zoe's coat."Here you are."

"Thanks, aren't you a gentleman?" The female smiled as Max put his own coat on.

"Anything for the person who I only have eyes for." Max said, looking her in the eye.

"Max..."

"It's the truth, Zoe."

Zoe broke the intense gaze that had developed between them by fiddling around in her pocket. "Damn!"

"What's the matter?"

"I've left my gloves in my car. "

"No worries." Max said. "You can hold my hand, if you want?"

"Okay..."

He slipped his gloved hand into hers. Zoe felt butterflies in her stomach.

They stepped out into the snow laden street. Both shivered, even though they were wrapped up in coats and scarves.

"I love the snow, but it's damn cold." Max muttered.

"I agree!" said Zoe as the two of them made slow progress down the street- they didn't want to slip.

Christmas decorations adorned every shop front on either side of the couple. A choir was singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", and the smell of roasting chestnuts filled the air.

"I feel extremely festive." Zoe said happily- Christmas was her favourite time of year.

"I do too." Max said quietly.

Zoe smiled. "I wonder if we're doing Secret Santa at work again this year?"

"I hope that we will do. As long as I don't get Connie."

Zoe chuckled. "I think that she'd be happy with a box of chocolates."

"Hmm..." Max was wondering what to get Zoe for Christmas- but there was only one thing that he wanted- her back.

"Zoe... What would you like for Christmas?" He asked carefully as they stopped at Zoe's favourite shoe shop.

"I... I.."

"Yes?" he tentatively took her other hand in his.

Quite appropriately, and rather loudly, Mariah Carey's version of "All I Want For Christmas Is You" started to play.

"I guess that this song tells you all that I need to say- I've never been that good with words." Zoe grinned.

"I agree- and ditto." Said Max.

Zoe took a step towards him. "All I want for Christmas, Mr Walker, is you back in my life. And I'd like to kiss you, too!" she giggled.

Max smiled as the chorus of the song began to play. "Then I'm quite happy to grant both of those requests."

His lips pressed against her own. Snow fluttered to the ground around them as they kissed, Christmas carols were playing... A perfect scene.

"I think that this will be the best Christmas ever." Max said when they parted.

"It will be." Zoe smiled.


End file.
